I'm so glad you posted here BEFORE you tried to plant hostas under your maple.

First thing to do, search in this forum for "maple" and read the threads written by people who have become murderously frustrated by trying grow hostas under maples.

As our friend Ken Adrian says, "Trees win, trees win, trees win."

Maples are the worst, and some kinds of maple are worse than others. Can you find out what kind of maple you have? Norway maples are notorious for their shallow, thirsty roots. NOTHING will grow underneath, not even English Ivy, which will grow almost anywhere.

I had a big Norway maple in the backyard of my last house. In my ignorance, I was thrilled to have this big tree in my back yard! I imagined all sorts of greenery underneath. I loved that tree!

Six years later, frustrated beyond belief, I had it cut down.

So. Do you have some other space in your yard for hostas?

Oh, rats. I believe it is a red maple. Perhaps I can just mulch it over and put some containerized hostas around.

I had planned to put hostas in a part-shade bed near the back of the house, around a witch hazel or fringetree, so perhaps I will have to confine them to that area for now. I'm really close to Hallson's so I will probably make a trip up there once I get anything resembling a prepared bed (the rest of the soil is as bad as what's under the tree). So, any advice on soil prep is still welcome!

i hate to say it.. but forget about trying to grow them under that tree.. its roots are already at the surface... and frankly.. EVERY TIME YOU STICK A SHOVEL IN AND SEVER A ROOT.. IT WILL BE REPLACED BY 100 NEW ROOTS ...

ergo i suggest pots... i hate pots... but many peeps have good luck with them .... i will even give you the pots that are stored in my barn for free .... barretts in adrian also has a recycle program.. and i am pretty sure you can go take them if you want them ... almost all nurseries have a pile of pots they are willing to give away ..... besides.. if you succeed .. you can take them with you when you move.. go figure on that ....

now... would you care to work like a dog for some plants???? i have to move a bunch of clumps... and might be willing to give small pieces for starts for some labor ....

how about you come over some evening with fiancee and have a tour and get some pots.. and we can discuss acquisition ... i am on the way to Tecumseh .... email me from my members page ....

think about it ...ken

PS: fall planting in zone 5 can lead to winter heave ... now is prime time to plant/move hosta ... they are beginning to grow roots and store food for next year ...

Wow, binkin, what a treat! You MUST MUST MUST go!

You can mulch under the maple if you want... I tried that. (I tried EVERYTHING.)

In my case, the maple roots grew up through the mulch.

Gawd, I despised that tree.

Ken - I will talk to my fiance and figure out when is a good time for him, since he's the one who drives. I will definitely email you. Thank you for the opportunity - if nothing else I think that would be a great learning experience.

I spent some time sitting in the chairs I have under the Dread Maple and saw what might be a good spot for some hosta. There's an old laundry pole that I can train a vine up and plant hosta around. That area is in shade all day. Probably just gonna go with mulch and pots under the tree itself.

Thanks for the advice so far.

I've been reading the book - Moss Gardening by George Schneck.

Moss can be grown around the maple, but you might want to check out the book to see if it's something you'd want to maintain.

binkin,,,
welcome....and...

don't miss the opportunity to see a mature hosta garden...they are stuff to build your dreams on...

and a good strong back in trade for some of 'ken's' hostas is "sure" a 'good deal'....can't go wrong in my opinion...

jill

Moss?

Really?

I believe moss needs moisture, yes? It gets SO dry under maple trees, I think you'd have to spend your life watering the moss. And even then, you'd be watering the $%#@@! maple tree. AGGGGHHHHHhhhhh.

Thanks again for all the pointers. I'll definitely keep reading this forum and keep you all updated. I thought I would include a photo of the area that I took today around 12:30pm. Gotta love the salvaged-from-the-curb chaise longues, ne? The begonia and impatiens in pots seem to do well there and I can enjoy them while I sit under the tree. I may end up moving our patio set (salvaged from the future in-laws) under the tree for shade purposes, so the area may look better with potted hostas, if that's all I can do.

Where maples are the worst for surface roots people need to keep in mind that ALL trees will go to the water source. A garden with clay soil will have more roots near the surface where a garden with more sand will have deeper root systems. If you want deep roots on a tree then I'd suggest watering 5 to 6 hours in that area and do it once every 2 to 3 weeks. Watering more at once lets the water seep into the ground further and the roots will follow the moisture. Now if you water for 30 minutes once a week then your tree roots will look for the source of water closer to the surface.